Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation announced that the country will produce thousands of long-range drones capable of striking deep inside Russia this year. The minister stated that Ukraine already has up to 10 companies manufacturing drones that can reach Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Mykhailo Fedorov defended the wartime drone manufacturing in an interview in Kyiv, where he revealed new details about the sector following a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities in recent weeks. He told Reuters, “The category of long-range kamikaze drones is growing, with ranges reaching 300, 500, 700, and 1000 kilometers. This category did not exist two years ago… at all.”
Fedorov is spearheading Ukraine’s efforts to nurture emerging private military companies for innovation in the drone industry as the war enters its third year. Ukraine is looking for new ways to combat well-fortified Russian forces.
He explained that the recent series of strikes on oil facilities reflect the government’s progress in deregulating the drone market and increasing its funding, with the state acting as an investor. He added that about $2.5 million had been allocated as grants to startups in the military technology sector through the government’s Brave1 initiative launched last year, with plans to increase the amount by tenfold in 2024. Fedorov stated, “We will fight to increase the funding even more.”
